Elite 8 Bhangra- an invitational
College bhangra competitions used to be rare. Now, every region is home to multiple competitions.
It’s great to see bhangra, as an artform, thriving. Though as a competition, it sometimes feels as though the art is lost amongst the flips and pyramids. However, the last few years have seen a movement going back to the basics of the traditional art form, which has been wonderful to see.
In the crowd of competitions, it is natural to try to distinguish oneself. This year, DC will play host to an invitational bhangra competition called the “Elite 8.” It won’t change bhangra competitions, but it may heighten the profiles of the teams who were invited.
Check out more info for the competition and teams competing, here.
43 Responses to “Elite 8 Bhangra- an invitational”
As the website is called 'The Langar Hall', hence 'TLG' should only be discussing things that would be dicussed in a Gurdwara Langar Hall. In a Gurdwara Langar ways to tackle alcohol abuse would be discussed but it would be unacceptable to promote Alcohol use.
While i accept Bhangra is a Punjabi custom and in the past Bhangra was very clean and possibly acceptable in the past. However this in no longer the case, all one needs to do is to the vulgar content of the songs that will be played at these Bhangra competitions. Bhangra promotion while for some "may" have been acceptable talk in a Gurdwara Langar Hall, it however no longer is. So promotion of Bhangra event at 'TLG' should not be acceptable either!
We really need to stop bending the rules to please Punjabi's, whether they're Sikh or not!
As the website is called 'The Langar Hall', hence 'TLG' should only be discussing things that would be dicussed in a Gurdwara Langar Hall. In a Gurdwara Langar ways to tackle alcohol abuse would be discussed but it would be unacceptable to promote Alcohol use.
While i accept Bhangra is a Punjabi custom and in the past Bhangra was very clean and possibly acceptable in the past. However this in no longer the case, all one needs to do is to the vulgar content of the songs that will be played at these Bhangra competitions. Bhangra promotion while for some "may" have been acceptable talk in a Gurdwara Langar Hall, it however no longer is. So promotion of Bhangra event at 'TLG' should not be acceptable either!
We really need to stop bending the rules to please Punjabi's, whether they're Sikh or not!
Im sorry but Karan veer ji, I have to disagree.
As a participant of Elite 8 and many other competitions, we as bhangra dancers, are well aware of lyrical content and 90% of us don't dance to vulgar music at a competition level. Especially because most judges are older, traditional, understand the language and are offended to hear vulgar music on the stage, secondly a bhangra routine has different segments which have matching songs, vulgar lyrics just dont fit. Not to mention, most vulgar lyrical content and music, really isnt made to dance to, its something you listen to in the car, barely represented on a public stage.
I really do hope, you get out more and go to these bhangra competitions. You would be surprised to see who attends and competes and what kind of music is danced to. Might even find a few of us Langar Hall folk competiting 🙂
Im sorry but Karan veer ji, I have to disagree.
As a participant of Elite 8 and many other competitions, we as bhangra dancers, are well aware of lyrical content and 90% of us don't dance to vulgar music at a competition level. Especially because most judges are older, traditional, understand the language and are offended to hear vulgar music on the stage, secondly a bhangra routine has different segments which have matching songs, vulgar lyrics just dont fit. Not to mention, most vulgar lyrical content and music, really isnt made to dance to, its something you listen to in the car, barely represented on a public stage.
I really do hope, you get out more and go to these bhangra competitions. You would be surprised to see who attends and competes and what kind of music is danced to. Might even find a few of us Langar Hall folk competiting 🙂
Karan Singh & Kaur,
Interesting points. I've always felt this blog highlights what currently isn't being discussed in Gurdwara Langar halls, but maybe should be. I'm having difficulty seeing the relevance of this post or how it adds to TLH outside of event promotion for "Elite 8".
Karan Singh & Kaur,
Interesting points. I've always felt this blog highlights what currently isn't being discussed in Gurdwara Langar halls, but maybe should be. I'm having difficulty seeing the relevance of this post or how it adds to TLH outside of event promotion for "Elite 8".
@KaranSingh
"'TLG' should only be discussing things that would be dicussed in a Gurdwara Langar Hall"
Really? Lets start gossiping about how nice the langar is, how Jagtar's daughter is dressed like she's at a wedding, and hot fat Jassi looks these days.
Get over yourself.
@Balmeet
Noted. What the post doesn't say explicitly is that this is the most anticipated bhangra competition in the 17 years that North American bhangra competitions have been happening. And like it or not, at roughly 75% of the bhangra circuit consists of Sikh youth. Or if you're part of the more monolithic, 75% 'come from Sikh families.'
@KaranSingh
"'TLG' should only be discussing things that would be dicussed in a Gurdwara Langar Hall"
Really? Lets start gossiping about how nice the langar is, how Jagtar's daughter is dressed like she's at a wedding, and hot fat Jassi looks these days.
Get over yourself.
@Balmeet
Noted. What the post doesn't say explicitly is that this is the most anticipated bhangra competition in the 17 years that North American bhangra competitions have been happening. And like it or not, at roughly 75% of the bhangra circuit consists of Sikh youth. Or if you're part of the more monolithic, 75% 'come from Sikh families.'
If you are going to post things about Bhangra, please post things about traditional African, Chinese, European, South American, Pakistani, Australian, Canadian, etc. dances all around the world too.
Sikhs are not exclusively Punjabi and Punjabi dances are not relevant exclusively to a Sikh audience. You are stereotyping Sikhs.
A singh,
If you'd like to post about any of the above dances you mentioned, do email us! In the meantime, I'll post what I'm familiar with.
If you are going to post things about Bhangra, please post things about traditional African, Chinese, European, South American, Pakistani, Australian, Canadian, etc. dances all around the world too.
Sikhs are not exclusively Punjabi and Punjabi dances are not relevant exclusively to a Sikh audience. You are stereotyping Sikhs.
A singh,
If you'd like to post about any of the above dances you mentioned, do email us! In the meantime, I'll post what I'm familiar with.
Bhangra is a link to punjabi culture and also therefore a link to Sikhi.
If people want to study Sikhi I believe they'd find a spiritual practice that is absolutely profound. People study buddhism without much concern about the birthplace of Buddha, and the same could happen vis a vis Sikhi.
I think Partition is part of the reason Punjabi culture and Sikhi have become joined culture, related to the strong desire for preservation and regeneration.
That said, a person's religious life is lived in a context, and for many people that context includes punjabi culture, it's the field of action in which one might live, and knowing about punjabi culture can also help clarify some of the references in the Guru Granth Sahib
Bhangra is a link to punjabi culture and also therefore a link to Sikhi.
If people want to study Sikhi I believe they'd find a spiritual practice that is absolutely profound. People study buddhism without much concern about the birthplace of Buddha, and the same could happen vis a vis Sikhi.
I think Partition is part of the reason Punjabi culture and Sikhi have become joined culture, related to the strong desire for preservation and regeneration.
That said, a person's religious life is lived in a context, and for many people that context includes punjabi culture, it's the field of action in which one might live, and knowing about punjabi culture can also help clarify some of the references in the Guru Granth Sahib
How is this bhangra competition any different that anything put out by others? Many competitions bill themselves to be showcasing the best of the best… What makes this one revolutionary?
How is this bhangra competition any different that anything put out by others? Many competitions bill themselves to be showcasing the best of the best… What makes this one revolutionary?
Punjabi Assaassin, I was thinking the same thing…
Punjabi Assaassin, I was thinking the same thing…
This competition is the first invite-only bhangra competition that has happened before, and has secured 8 of the most dominant teams in the bhangra circuit today. Some competitions say they're bringing the best, and this competition is doing it.
The difference is marginal or even nominal. I've organized a Bhangra Competition in the past and we tried to invite only the best schools to it. Even if you have successfully done so, by what standard? Have these teams won first place in other competitions?
I vaguely recall a competition called the Best of the Best…. how is this different? Whats Bhangra Blowout also suppose to be the best teams competing?
This comment isn't meant to put your competition down because I am sure it will be awesome if the teams are good, but I'm jus not sure why it was blogged out here…
"It won’t change bhangra competitions, but it may heighten the profiles of the teams who were invited." – My question is how? How can this new competition which doesn't seem to be doing anything different from other major competitions going to raise anyone's profile? This post jus seems like advertising at first glance, unless I'm missing something.
There are plenty of reasons why Elite 8 is different from the rest:
1. 2 teams from each coast are inivited… so they didnt have to send an application form like the rest of the comps
2. all of these teams are the best from the coast, have won atleast 2 first places, and placed 2nd or 3rd a handful of times……unlike comps accepting new teams…these teams are at the highest degree
3. every captain of each team is judging…and the scores will be posted on a public forum, the highest and lowest marks will be void…thus taking out any of the judges having biased…this comp will have one of the fairest marking system
4. It already has heightened the profiles of the teams invited, check out bhangrateamsforum.com. Some of these have danced for President Obama, the Canadian Parliament, and many other major events
…bottom line is, bhangra keeps kids away from other negatives taking over our community (gangs, drugs, violence, etc). Anything that does something positive for our community should be represented on TLH
Sanehwal, I'm still not convinced how "invite-only" is revoluntionary? Organizing a Bhangra competition to raise funds for Darfar or for Haiti – that's revoluntionary… this is just another bhangra competition. There's nothing wrong with that, but that's all it is.
Bhangra competitions are starting to get a bad rap – maybe it's time to step up the standard of these events so that they actually mean something again.
I didn't make claims towards revolution…Though the community may think differently, bhangra competitions dont make tons of money, and the ones that have a surplus ARE donating to Haiti, like UC Berkeley's Dhol di Awaz. I didn't take the care to carefully outline why the invites are salient, but place a phone call to that cousin of yours who dances on X bhangra team, and ask them what Elite 8 is. They'll tell you excitedly.
SKS, I'm not convinced that bhangra competitions are starting to get a bad rap. Why? Which competition? What did they mean previously, and how can we get back to that time when they meant something?
A portion of the proceeds go to United Way:
http://www.elite8bhangra.com/charity
This competition is the first invite-only bhangra competition that has happened before, and has secured 8 of the most dominant teams in the bhangra circuit today. Some competitions say they're bringing the best, and this competition is doing it.
The difference is marginal or even nominal. I've organized a Bhangra Competition in the past and we tried to invite only the best schools to it. Even if you have successfully done so, by what standard? Have these teams won first place in other competitions?
I vaguely recall a competition called the Best of the Best…. how is this different? Whats Bhangra Blowout also suppose to be the best teams competing?
This comment isn't meant to put your competition down because I am sure it will be awesome if the teams are good, but I'm jus not sure why it was blogged out here…
"It won’t change bhangra competitions, but it may heighten the profiles of the teams who were invited." – My question is how? How can this new competition which doesn't seem to be doing anything different from other major competitions going to raise anyone's profile? This post jus seems like advertising at first glance, unless I'm missing something.
There are plenty of reasons why Elite 8 is different from the rest:
1. 2 teams from each coast are inivited… so they didnt have to send an application form like the rest of the comps
2. all of these teams are the best from the coast, have won atleast 2 first places, and placed 2nd or 3rd a handful of times……unlike comps accepting new teams…these teams are at the highest degree
3. every captain of each team is judging…and the scores will be posted on a public forum, the highest and lowest marks will be void…thus taking out any of the judges having biased…this comp will have one of the fairest marking system
4. It already has heightened the profiles of the teams invited, check out bhangrateamsforum.com. Some of these have danced for President Obama, the Canadian Parliament, and many other major events
…bottom line is, bhangra keeps kids away from other negatives taking over our community (gangs, drugs, violence, etc). Anything that does something positive for our community should be represented on TLH
from kaur to kaur, i have to disagree with you. you say that you've been a participant of elite 8 and many other competitions – if this is true, then you must admit…the "bhangra circuit" does NOT keep kids away from these negatives.. in fact, in only reinforces them. I, too, am a dancer in the bhangra circuit so I hate to say – at each competition I have been to I have only seen typical punjabi culture of alcoholism and drug use at all afterparties and seen nothing more than gangs/violence between bhangra teams. the very same guys and girls who look so magestic on stage as "punjab's youth" are victim to the same corruptions taking over punjab currently.
though i do not have a problem with a posting about bhangra on this website, i do not think that we can justify it by saying that bhangra is anything apart from the evils that punjab faces today. it is indeed a part of our culture and tradition, but what it has become today is not even close.
Sanehwal, I'm still not convinced how "invite-only" is revoluntionary? Organizing a Bhangra competition to raise funds for Darfar or for Haiti – that's revoluntionary… this is just another bhangra competition. There's nothing wrong with that, but that's all it is.
Bhangra competitions are starting to get a bad rap – maybe it's time to step up the standard of these events so that they actually mean something again.
I didn't make claims towards revolution…Though the community may think differently, bhangra competitions dont make tons of money, and the ones that have a surplus ARE donating to Haiti, like UC Berkeley's Dhol di Awaz. I didn't take the care to carefully outline why the invites are salient, but place a phone call to that cousin of yours who dances on X bhangra team, and ask them what Elite 8 is. They'll tell you excitedly.
SKS, I'm not convinced that bhangra competitions are starting to get a bad rap. Why? Which competition? What did they mean previously, and how can we get back to that time when they meant something?
A portion of the proceeds go to United Way:
http://www.elite8bhangra.com/charity
Hi kaur,
Let me go through your points one at a time… but first let me ask you, are you involved with the organization putting it on?
1. I don't think the first part excludes the second part of your statement. I see that two teams from each coast are competing, its not very clear how many were invited that turned down the competition. But I'll assume that everyone who was invited accepted.
2. Glad to hear they are all competition winners! It doesn't say that anywhere in the post or on their website that I saw. Also, this doesn't make this competition very different from many of the major ones that proport to do the same thing. Major "national" competitions all brought competition winners, I don't see this as being any different, and if the difference is that they didn't have people apply to join, but hand picked some teams, I don't think that changes anything. If this had been done by application, it follows that the committee selecting the teams would have picked these teams since they are the best!
3. That's an interesting judging format, reminds me of figure skating, lol! Do you think other judges are biased?? From the competitions I've been to, the judges don't have any relationship with the teams, in this case, at least one judge is biased since he is team captain!
4. Do you think that these teams were invited because of the Elite 8 competition? Was Bhangra Empire invited to the State Dinner at the White House because they are really good, or because of Elite 8? That claim becomes more difficult to believe when you consider the Canadian Parliament. Do you really believe the people who sent out the invitation to the Canadian team looked to see who was competing if this new competition called Elite 8? It may be true, but its jus a lil hard to believe. If it is true, that's wonderful news!
I agree with your bottom line, but this post just seemed like advertising. Didn't seem to fit with the other posts i read everyday.
Hi kaur,
Let me go through your points one at a time… but first let me ask you, are you involved with the organization putting it on?
1. I don't think the first part excludes the second part of your statement. I see that two teams from each coast are competing, its not very clear how many were invited that turned down the competition. But I'll assume that everyone who was invited accepted.
2. Glad to hear they are all competition winners! It doesn't say that anywhere in the post or on their website that I saw. Also, this doesn't make this competition very different from many of the major ones that proport to do the same thing. Major "national" competitions all brought competition winners, I don't see this as being any different, and if the difference is that they didn't have people apply to join, but hand picked some teams, I don't think that changes anything. If this had been done by application, it follows that the committee selecting the teams would have picked these teams since they are the best!
3. That's an interesting judging format, reminds me of figure skating, lol! Do you think other judges are biased?? From the competitions I've been to, the judges don't have any relationship with the teams, in this case, at least one judge is biased since he is team captain!
4. Do you think that these teams were invited because of the Elite 8 competition? Was Bhangra Empire invited to the State Dinner at the White House because they are really good, or because of Elite 8? That claim becomes more difficult to believe when you consider the Canadian Parliament. Do you really believe the people who sent out the invitation to the Canadian team looked to see who was competing if this new competition called Elite 8? It may be true, but its jus a lil hard to believe. If it is true, that's wonderful news!
I agree with your bottom line, but this post just seemed like advertising. Didn't seem to fit with the other posts i read everyday.
Elite 8 be better than this struggling artist –
Elite 8 be better than this struggling artist –
Nope, not organizing Elite 8. However I do belong to one of the teams invited from the West Coast.
Congratulations and good luck!
Nope, not organizing Elite 8. However I do belong to one of the teams invited from the West Coast.
Congratulations and good luck!
songs pk mp3
songs pk mp3
can some one tell name of the song at 6:20 in the below video
can some one tell name of the song at 6:20 in the below video